Imagine if I asked you, “What is Face-to-Face learning?” It would be impossible to come up with one definition, as each of our classrooms look very different from others. Does class start with an announcement? Do students sit in rows, or even in desks? Do students talk with other students? Do they get to do anything with their hands, other than hold a pencil?Blended learning is just as complex. There is a spectrum of uses that get categorized as “blended learning” since they involve a mixture of face-to-face learning and computer learning.

Instead of determining one definition, consider a spectrum of options that teachers use.

Imagine if I asked you, “What is Face-to-Face learning?” It would be impossible to come up with one definition, as each of our classrooms look very different from others. Does class start with an announcement? Do students sit in rows, or even in desks? Do students talk with other students? Do they get to do anything with their hands, other than hold a pencil?Blended learning is just as complex. There is a spectrum of uses that get categorized as “blended learning” since they involve a mixture of face-to-face learning and computer learning.

But… all of these could be offered, either face-to-face or online (there are no right or wrong answers). Your answers say a lot about your teaching style.

Blended learning is just as complex. There is a spectrum of uses that get categorized as “blended learning” since they involve a mixture of face-to-face learning and computer learning.

Moodle is more than just a web 2.0 tool. It is a suite of tools, that serve an array of purposes much like a Swiss Army Knife. Because of this, almost any instructor can use Moodle, since it is adaptable to fit her individual needs

This is the AEA-supported statewide site. Please contact Evan Abbey (eabbey@aea11.k12.ia.us) if you are interested in having a course hosted here.

Resource Iowa (the statewide AEA site) has quite a variety of free online content for schools to use. While some is designed as a fully online course (such as this ILO paleobiology course), components of it can be used in your blended course.

Connexions (Rice U). Similar to Curriki, but containing more content at the university level.

MERLOT – an aggregator of learning objects from many different sites (like Curriki or Connexions). This features quite a bit of higher level learning.

CK-12 – One of a variety of free flexbook providers. This site specializes in math, science, and business.

Hippocampus – Offers digital lessons and interactives that accompany many common textbooks (like Houghton-Mifflin or McGraw-Hill).

MovieClips – In addition to Youtube, there are several video providers who allow their clips to be embedded within your digital platform (e.g. Moodle). MovieClips has negotiated with movie distributors like Universal and 20th Century Fox to allow clips of their movies to be used for non-profit organizations like teachers.

Udemy – This is a series of video “lectures” structured around a curriculum (in this case, “Middle School Science”)

IPTV – They offer quite a bit of not only video content, but accompanying teacher materials and student resources to take the video and make it a digital lesson.

Khan Academy – Probably the most famous video provider of lecture-based content. Salman Khan, its founder, has made a strong case for flipped-classrooms nationwide.

Video of a flipped classroom teacher (Aaron Sams). Original can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H4RkudFzlc

Rethink Assessment

Example of a Moodle Quiz, where you can add feedback and computerized grading, perfect for a formative “check-your-understanding” model for students.

From UW-Madison, a “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” model of a formative quiz.

Another interactive from UW-Madison, this one allows a student to interact with different components of a cell and check their understanding.

Geogebra – Allows a teacher to assess a student’s understanding of mathematical graphing or equation solving.

ITSI-SU – Allows a student to conduct a lab (in this case, with a temperature probe) and then create conclusions on their hypothesis. The written lab brings all the assessment data to the teacher.

Threaded Discussions can take place in a variety of different formats, but allow for conversation to not be limited by time.

Edmodo – Another threaded discussion board.

Diigo – Allows you to collaboratively annotate and discuss a website, and in turn, a common text that the group is looking analyzing.

Google Docs – Can easily be used as an asynchronous group collaboration tool as well.

Project OLLIE is built to help teachers learn how to teach online. It is professional development built around the Iowa Online Teaching Standards.

There are 5 foundational courses that will help teachers understand the basics of the Iowa Online Teaching Standards. However, the deepest ongoing learning will happen in your mentoring experience and your community of practice.We have now added a 6th elective course on teaching in a blended classroom.

Blended Learning in Your Classroom

2.
Prisoners of Time
“Traditional schools make time the
constant and learning the variable. This is
exactly backwards of how it needs to be.
New models of education should make
learning the constant, and time the
variable.”

6.
In groups… which of the components of a classroom
should be face-to-face, and which should be online?
Quizzes
Course Introduction/Expectations
Project Presentations
Announcements
Teacher to Student Communication
Student to Teacher Communication
Multimedia Content
Written Content
Lab Work
Student Discussions
Collaborative Group Work
Preparing for Tests, Homework Help
Q & A Sessions
Internet Research